Deliver Us from Evil
"Deliver Us From Evil" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of Miami Vice's fourth season. The episode premiered on April 29, 1988. Summary Hackman, who Crockett mistakenly got off Death Row, returns, and his next victim hits Crockett close to home. It is the second episode of the Sonny Burnett Arc. Plot Two years after getting off Death Row, Hackman (Guy Boyd) is back, and he and his gang invade a home and kill everyone, including a young girl. Caitlin (Sheena Easton) is heading back to town for some sold-out shows, and needs to talk to Crockett (who by now has made a full recovery from his near-fatal gunshot wound), but he and Tubbs go to see the bodies from the home invasion, and they find 12-gauge shotguns followed by a pistol to finish them off. Johnny Blatt (Don Opper) and his girlfriend Julia (Mary Fanaro) are talking about Hackman's plans to do a big job, then Blatt begins abusing Julia. Castillo is ready to turn the case over to Homicide when Crockett finds the M.O. used has only been done once, by Hackman, but has nothing more than a hunch, and asks Castillo for some time to work on it, despite a full caseload. Castillo grants him two days. Hackman's wife (Julie Brams) wants to leave, fearing Crockett will come after him, but Hackman feels safe that Crockett works Vice, not Robbery or Homicide. Tubbs and Switek go see Izzy (now at a jewelry store) who tells them about Blatt. Caitlin calls Crockett back to tell him something when Tubbs tells him that Blatt left Izzy's store and they'll go see him, and Crockett leaves before Caitlin can tell him what she wants to. Tubbs finds Julia works for a security company, she passes the info on big scores to Blatt, who passes it to the rest of the crew. They go to see Julia, who has bruises and a possible broken rib, and she tells them where Blatt is. Crockett and Tubbs go to where he is, but Blatt makes them, and they head inside where Hackman is there with his crew. Crockett and Tubbs kill everyone except Hackman and Blatt, who get away. Hackman's wife is hit as well and dies. A visibly shaken Crockett calls Caitlin to let her know he can't make her show the next day. Crockett asks Castillo to transfer out of OCB/Vice, but Castillo informs him Hackman's wife was killed by Hackman, not by Crockett. Blatt viciously abuses Julia for directing Crockett and Tubbs to their hideout. Izzy says Hackman is planning a big score for that night but didn't know where. Crockett goes to see Caitlin in her dressing room, while Tubbs goes to see a badly beaten Julia, who knows where the hit is. Caitlin's show goes on at Club 1235, which is where Hackman is going to hit. Tubbs is unable to reach Crockett, Hackman kills the light person and lines up his laser rifle, thinks about killing Crockett, but due to his belief that Crockett killed his wife, Hackman fires and kills Caitlin in Crockett's arms. Crockett, drowning his sorrows in some whiskey on the St. Vitus Dance surrounded by pictures of Caitlin, finds the cross Hackman gave him when he got off Death Row two years earlier, then Tubbs stops by just as Crockett gets a phone call from the M.E., which Tubbs takes, to let him know Caitlin was seven weeks pregnant (which is what she tried to tell Crockett but was never able to), which sends Crockett into a drunken rage and storms off the boat. Three weeks later, Crockett is still on the boat, cleaning and polishing everything on it (and still drowning his sorrows in whiskey), blowing off Tubbs' efforts to talk to him. Back at OCB, they found Blatt had gone back to Chicago but is returning to Miami that night, and Crockett returns to work a day early. Hackman checked into the Virgin Gordor under the name "Crockett", previously he was in Martinique. Castillo returns his transfer request, unsigned, saying he thought he'd want to review it first. Crockett and Tubbs hit Blatt's house (before he can kill Julia) and take him in. He gives up Hackman, currently on Caicos Island, though arranging extradition may be a problem. Castillo wants Crockett to get some rest, which he does, on Caicos Island where he faces Hackman. Hackman tells Crockett how he set up his retirement home, including how he made arrangements with the local judge and police about their pensions, and refuses Crockett's demands to "get up". Crockett then gives Hackman his cross back, then pulls out his gun, Hackman tells Crockett he knows how the same way he couldn't let an innocent man be executed, he knows he can't shoot an unarmed man, he then closes his eyes and lays his head back. Crockett shoots Hackman dead, and calmly walks away, and as he does we see a gun in the dead Hackman's hand. Notes *The opening narration said "Previously on Miami Vice", like in "Rock and a Hard Place", but in this case the episode referenced is "Forgive Us Our Debts", from the previous season. *Sheena Easton's final song, "Follow My Rainbow", appeared on her album The Lover In Me, released in 1989. *During Caitlin's concert, Crockett can be seen wearing one of his classic season 1-2 looks (white suit and loafers, pastel pink t-shirt). *Crockett's attitude in this episode, following Caitlin's death, is just like Tubbs' attitude following Angelina's death in "Sons and Lovers". In both cases, they appear depressed and unwilling to listen to anyone (even their own partner). Both characters also eventually take revenge on those responsible. *The end sequence dialogue implies Crockett shot and killed an unarmed Hackman, though when Crockett walks away, there is a gun in Hackman's hand. This is apparently due to NBC censors demanding "equal arms" for both men, although it's also possible that Hackman (being the sneaky bad-guy he is) could have had the gun hidden under his book, or even that Sonny planted the gun to make it look like Hackman was armed. With regards to the latter possibility, in the scene directly preceding Hackman's death Sonny is shown strapping a "throw away gun" to his calf under his pant leg, although it appears to be his standard back-up (a Detonics CombatMaster), whereas the gun in Hackman's dead hand is different. thumb|300px|right|Ending with Crockett and Hackman *When Crockett is strapping his backup to his ankle, a photograph of him in football gear with his old buddy Robbie Cann (played by James Remar in "Buddies") can be seen on the inside of his locker door. *"Deliver Us From Evil", like "Forgive Us Our Debts", are passages from The Lord's Prayer. *Crockett says he's been on the job for twenty years, but in the previous episode they mention his age as 35, meaning he would have joined the force at the age of 15; not a likely scenario. *Jan Hammer's haunting melody used in "Buddies" for Dorothy Bain (used here when Hackman's wife dies and when Crockett asks for a transfer) and in the gas station scene in "Evan" (used on the boat after Caitlin's murder) are used effectively here. *It's not known what became of the house that Caitlin and Crockett bought earlier in the season, as it's not mentioned at all after Caitlin's death. Presumably Crockett still owns it when he loses his memory in the next episode, and following his corresponding disappearance it is likely Metro-Dade would have sold it for finances. *In this episode, it is stated that Hackman's signature method of execution, the very thing that alerts Crockett to his return, is to shoot his victims with a shotgun and then a pistol. However, in "Forgive Us Our Debts", he does not use a pistol at all when he murders Crockett's then-partner. This is even explicitly shown in the flashback that starts this episode. *When he executes Hackman, Don Johnson does not even blink in reaction to the gunshot, a very unusual thing for an actor to be able to do. Music *"We Do What We're Told" by Peter Gabriel (Opening flashback from "Forgive Us Our Debts") *"Lazybones" by Hoagy Carmichael (playing at Hackman's place and at end on Caicos Island) *"Don't Turn Your Back" by Sheena Easton (first song performed live by Caitlin) *"Follow My Rainbow" by Sheena Easton (last song performed live by Caitlin and end sequence after Crockett kills Hackman) Quotes *"Caitlin... was seven weeks pregnant!" -- Tubbs to Crockett after getting the autopsy report *"Yeah, it took him (Blatt) a long time to give up Hackman--almost 10 minutes!" -- Switek *"I sure as hell know the same way you couldn't let an innocent man be executed, that you can't shoot an unarmed man!" -- Hackman to Crockett *"Wrong!" -- Crockett in response after killing Hackman Category:Miami Vice Season 4 Episodes